IRON MAIDEN, released on April 14, 1980, is the debut album by the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, founded by bass player Steve Harris and named after a medieval torture instrument. It was released by EMI in the U.K., reaching number 4 in the U.K. album charts. The album was released a few months later in the U.S. originally on Harvest/Capitol Records and subsequently Sanctuary Records/Columbia Records and included the song "Sanctuary", which had been released in the U.K. only as a single, added to the track listing. In 1998, just like all other pre-X FACTOR albums, the album was re-released, and "Sanctuary" was added in all territories. Of all the songs in this album, "Phantom of the Opera," "Running Free," "Sanctuary" and "Iron Maiden" remain on the set lists of nearly all of the band''s concert tours, with the latter used to introduce a giant representation of the band''s mascot Eddie from the back of the stage. Four songs from the album: "Prowler", "Remember Tomorrow", "Running Free" and "Iron Maiden" were covered for the 2008 tribute album MAIDEN HEAVEN: A TRIBUTE TO IRON MAIDEN released by Kerrang! magazine. Every song on this album except "Strange World" has since been recorded by the

Dickinson-fronted line-up of the band, either on live albums, on studio B-Sides, or both. IRON MAIDEN is one of two Iron Maiden albums listed in 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST is the other).

Roughly produced by Will Malone, the songs were influenced by the group''s fascination with horror films ("Phantom Of The Opera") and the macabre ("Transylvania," "Prowler"). Driven by Harris'' driving bass and Paul Di''Anno''s raspy vocals, songs such as the moody "Remember Tomorrow" and the more aggressive "Charlotte The Harlot" also featured the melodic interplay of guitarists Dave Murray and Dennis Stratton. "Running Free" was the album''s anthem and landed Maiden a slot on Top Of The Pops, where in their refusal to lip-synch, they became the first band to play live on the show since The Who''s 1972 appearance.

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